To ask why religion is declining in Britain

[Jackieweaver2024]

Just that really I would be interested to hear everyone’s opinions?

I think it is rude to disrespect and poke fun at people who have a faith, especially if they aren't trying to impose their beliefs on anyone else.

I think it's rude and disrespectful to join a cult. Especially ones that rely on indoctrinating their followers at at a young age, spread messages of violence and intolerance, use their power and position to do the exact opposite of what they claim to stand for, commit horrendous acts of abuse and then cover up it and pretend it was a silly little mistake.

Genuinely don't see why people can't have faith and worship together in their local bowling club or community hall and let those vile institutions fade into the past where they belong.

It hasn't . Money, Celebrityism and social mediaism are the new religions that everyone believes in these days.

#👍is the new 🙏

I think it is rude to disrespect and poke fun at people who have a faith, especially if they aren't trying to impose their beliefs on anyone else

I agree with this; as a society we are supposed to be tolerant of the views of others yet it's apparently ok to ridicule people who have a faith. I'm not a particularly religious woman but I find it uncomfortable.

[quote mnahmnah]**@BrilliantBetty* @lazylinguist*

Have you heard of the Sunday assembly? It’s a movement that aims to bring all the community aspects without the religion. They have music and talks. Just like a church service.[/quote]
What a great idea! I thought of doing something like that several years ago, but I was too poor and too busy to do anything about it.

What a shame that Sunday Assembly has chosen such an old-fashioned, school-y sort of name and an awful, amateurish logo.

Because people now see through the hypocrisy of religion and those who preach and administer it. Many of the most unpleasant, judgmental and vicious people I know attend church, they get a buzz from feeling 'holy' and superior.

I was very much of the live and let live mindset about religion and people who practise it until a few years ago when a close relative of mine became ill with dementia and members of her church 'adopted' her after showing no real interest before that. They ended up in her will for hundreds of thousands of pounds in a very short space of time and during that time she became cut off from her non-church friends and family, which was totally out of character as she was very loving and loved. Surely you contacted her church and brought it up as a safeguarding issue I hear you say. Oh, I did, I raised it at very high levels. The Church not only turned a blind eye but also did very well out of it themselves eventually. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised.

I believe you should be kind and good as an end in itself, not because you are going to be rewarded sometime in the future and I think a lot of other people believe the same nowadays.

Verily, tis the end of days.

Belief in Christianity has been in decline for decades in the UK (and other parts of Europe). Given that the bulk of religious teaching and talk about belief happens at home, each new generation of children includes fewer and fewer believers. Greater access to reading material, advances in science and a more multicultural and multiethnic society make it far more difficult to unquestioningly accept the idea of there being a god. Historically religions have always risen and fallen in popularity before dying out or being absorbed into new belief systems and adapted to local populations but that spread of belief relied on individuals looking for explanations about the phenomena of every day life (sickness, crop failure, rain, drought etc) and give hope that hardship or suffering would be rewarded with a pleasant afterlife. On the whole we no longer need a religion to make sense of things that happen.

I wonder if some of it is because most people won't want to do something just because their parents are doing it.

In the past most people lived out their lives close to where they were born, did similar work to their parents, maybe even the same workplace. There wasn't the teenage youth culture that we have today. I imagine it wouldn't have occurred to many to not go to church as its what you just did on a Sunday.

Now the world is bigger. We don't automatically assume we'll go to work with our parents and live down the road. We don't have the same community bonds. We aren't always going to have the same religious beliefs as our parents.

I don't think many traditional churches anticipated that they'd be in a position where they'd have to start attracting people rather than just relying on the current members to produce them by reproduction.

So you’re part of this old school default of “Britain is Christian” - when it isn’t.

Arguably it it is. Plenty of people would still consider themselves Christian even if they don't regularly attend church. The country is built on Christian standards add as at the last census around 60% of the country were Christian. The next highest percentage was "no religion"

I think there are many things that have contributed to the decline in religious observance, if not the decline in people who are religious.

• perhaps in the past people did not feel so able to say they are not religious.
• same sex relationships being legal, more widely accepted, and those who are homosexual or bisexual not hiding any more in general
• the scandals involving Christian churches especially in Ireland, the Irish diaspora in mainland UK being a large part of those who attend church services.
• opening of shops on Sundays and events such as sport being more commonplace
• weddings in non-religious venues (I supported this as it meant no-one feeling they should fake faith to have a church wedding but could choose somewhere else).

Probably many other factors too.

Some young relatives of mine got very involved in evangelical Christianity after attending a camp where they were up at night praying and it sounded very cult like. Lots of glamorous and wealthy rock star type Christian bands there too, I am trying to remember the name.

Soul survivor

@Bowlerhats

Some young relatives of mine got very involved in evangelical Christianity after attending a camp where they were up at night praying and it sounded very cult like. Lots of glamorous and wealthy rock star type Christian bands there too, I am trying to remember the name.

I can imagine that's what it would take to impress young people. Going to the local CofE with mum and dad and tea and biscuits in the church hall just wouldn't compare.

Do come back OP and share your views.

We have other elements controlling us as a society. Religion has been replaced by imoroved political structures, law, science etc and is no longer relevant.

But don't worry cause it's all Gods will

Because religion is abusive, controlling and fear mongering.
We have knowledge and science now, we don't need to believe in some fake god anymore. Those who do are just burying their head in the sand.

DD has just told me RE is a compulsory subject for her GCSE's. They aren't taught critical thinking. The don't discuss if religion is real or why we have it. Beggars belief doesn't it?

I will be questioning it with the school.

I grew up in a churchgoing family where belief was private - you always went to church but never discussed it, it was a social thing.

One sibling became very devout Evangelical and still is. One got deeply into the music. And I became first an agnostic and since my husband died, a stony atheist.

I know some religious people who are either posh, Evangelical or did not grow up here. Probably the single most dedicated religious person I know is Buddhist and very selfish.

You asked why... I think as it gets less common, people can see that there's no connection between religious practice and being a good friend etc.

@ZenNudist

It's not served up in a 60 second soundboard or 280 characters. It's not easy. It requires you to live differently. Be a better person. It's hard to understand. As said here there are many more fun things to be doing like shopping or watching TV.

There is much more choice in spiritual expression now.

Its a bit of a joke blaming better education and more critical thinking. If anything, society's malaise is the opposite. Do any of the people who post this stuff stop to think critically about what they are saying? Or just go on to be casually bigoted and judgemental.

Christianity is growing globally. Must be all those thick foreigners eh?

Please explain to me how believing, or rather picking and choosing the bits to believe, in a centuries old text makes somebody a better person? I don't sit on my golden throne in the Vatican, counting my billions, while telling poor women they have to have child after child, born to die because birth control is a sin. I don't tell rape victims they don't deserve a choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I don't believe (secretly or otherwise) that gay people are 'wrong' or sinful. I don't agree with keeping slaves. I don't agree that women should be stoned to death. Or anybody, actually. I don't believe that I shouldn't wear mixed fabrics. I don't believe that being an unmarried mother is wrong and they should be sent away to an institution and have their baby snatched, sold or killed to save their parents' shame. I don't agree with sexual abuse, rape, beating and murder of children. I certainly wouldn't be complicit in covering it up. I don't believe in being bribed to be 'good'. I just am a good person. I don't need a 'reward' of heaven to make me behave that way. So, please explain why the people who do this are 'better' than me? Please explain what I am doing wrong and why you believe I should aim to be more like them?

@JackieWeaversZoomAc

DD has just told me RE is a compulsory subject for her GCSE's. They aren't taught critical thinking. The don't discuss if religion is real or why we have it. Beggars belief doesn't it?

I will be questioning it with the school.

RE is Religious education ie teaching about religion, not religious instruction which teaches how to be religious. I would have a look at the syllabus on the exam board's website before you contact the school.

@ZoeTurtle

I'd like to think it's because critical thinking skills are improving, but I don't see much other evidence for that.

Because the masses are now controlled by the internet, we don't need the church anymore.

I think part of it is actually the fact the general sense of community has gone. Once upon a time whole streets of people would attend the local church on Sunday and it would be almost embarrassing not to go. They would all have a chat after service too so it was almost a social event for people.

It’s just not the case anymore. People don’t tend to talk to their neighbours past a wave and hello if they happen to be outside at the same time.